Google launched the Pixel 6a smartphone in India today, after the Pixel 4a which was launched in the country back in 2020. This was introduced at the Google I/O in May, and pack several improvements compared to the Pixel 4a, starting from the 5G support, and uses the same Tensor chip that is present in the Pixel 6. Here we have the first impressions of the phone.
Box Contents
- Pixel 6a in charcoal colour
- USB-C to USB-C Cable (USB 2.0)
- Quick Start Guide
- Quick Switch Adaptor
- SIM Ejector Tool
The phone has a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED screen with 60Hz refresh rate compared to 90Hz in the Pixel 6. The screen is bright, and the viewing angles are good. It has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. You can also see the tiny bottom bezel, but the bezels on the sides and the top are minimal. It runs Android 12, and the phone will be one of the first to get the Android 13 update. The company has promised 5 years of security updates for the phone, and it should get 3 years of OS updates.
There is a centre punch-hole display that houses an 8MP camera with IMX355 sensor. Since this is small, it doesn’t disturb when watching videos. The earpiece on the top doubles up as the secondary speaker.
The phone has an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is the same as the Pixel 6, so it is slow. It has the Google Tensor SoC along with Titan M2 security chip. The performance is good, but it might heat up quickly on intensive gaming.
The phone has a metal frame. The power button and volume rockers are present on the right side. The single SIM slot is present on the left side, and the phone has eSIM support. The USB Type-C port, microphone and speaker grill are present on the bottom. The secondary microphone is present on the top.
The phone has a camera bar that has a 12.2MP rear camera with f/1.7 aperture, IMX363 sensor, and OIS. There is a secondary 12MP 107° Ultra-wide camera with IMX386 sensor and f/2.2 aperture. It has up to 4K 60 fps video recording for the rear camera and 1080p video recording for the front camera. You can Night Sight, Top Shot, Motion Auto Focus, Live HDR+, Cinematic Pan and other features.
Check out some camera samples.
Compared to the glass back in the Pixel 6, this has a plastic back, which the company calls 3D thermoformed composite back cover. The phone also has IP67 ratings for water resistance. It is a fingerprint magnet. The phone packs a 4410mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging.
The Pixel 6a also comes in Chalk colour in India, but the Sage colour is not available. It is already available for pre-order from Flipkart for Rs. 43,999 (MRP), and will go on sale from July 28th. There are several launch offers, including instant discount of Rs. 4,000 on Axis Bank Cards.